The Best of You
Join therapist and author, Dr. Alison Cook, as she guides you through some of your toughest challenges with wisdom, kindness, and grace. Together with friends and experts we'll unpack the best of psychology from a faith-based perspective. You’ll discover how to break free from painful patterns, mend your past, and discover what brings out the best of you.
Episodes
Why do I struggle with mental health?
How do I respond to Christians who claim there's no such thing as mental illness?
What does my mental health diagnosis mean?
If you've asked any of these questions, you don't want to miss today's episode! Join me as I discuss these crucial topics with Duke University psychiatrist and theologian, Warren Kinghorn, a leading expert in integrating Christian faith and mental health.
Here’s what ...
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What if anxiety isn't your enemy?
What if it's trying to help?
We all feel anxious at times. As we close out this series on Inside Out, we're bring you some powerful tips about how to transform anxiety into a powerful ally.
Here’s what we cover:
1. The most important strategy when you feel anxious (12:59)
2. How to recognize the voice of anxiety (14:03)
3. The relationship between anxiety & numbing (18:07)
4. Healthy “escape” vs...
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Do you ever get activated by your kids—even when they’re not really doing anything wrong?
It happens to the best of parents! Today’s episode, featuring renowned Enneagram expert, Beth McCord, is such an incredibly helpful and practical conversation about how to transform triggers into opportunities for health and connection.
Here’s what we cover:
1. How the Enneagram helped Beth stop comparing herself to other moms (7:46)
2. Why...
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We all need to tune up our boundaries from time to time, especially when encountering difficult people. Today, I'm sharing an encore episode about the Biblical mandate to "Turn the Other Cheek." Spoiler alert: it has nothing to do with being a doormat in the face of toxicity!
Originally titled, Should I Turn the Other Cheek? Why It's the Opposite of Being a Doormat & How to Stand Firm in the Face of Gaslighting, Manipulation, & T...
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Do you ever struggle with negative beliefs about yourself, even though you know they aren't true?
We all carry burdens that we pick up in childhood, and these burdens can be surprisingly persistent. Today's guest, therapist, author of The One Inside, & host of The One Inside IFS podcast, Tammy Sollenberger shares her journey of healing her younger self from these painful burdens.
Here's what we cover:
The surprising way we can co...
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Do you ever feel like you're wearing a mask, hiding how you really feel from others?
Do you find yourself in conflict with different aspects of your personality, struggling to find harmony?
In honor of the new Pixar movie, Inside Out 2, we're diving into Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy in a brand new series this week! Today's guest, Jenna Riemersma is an amazing human, an expert IFS clinician, and the bestselling author of 2 ...
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Have you or someone you love struggled with depression?
If so, you’re not alone. Rates of depression have increased in the past few years, and my guest today is here to give us hopeful, helpful, science-backed wisdom on how to name, frame, and brave a path out of depression. From identifying the subtle signs of mild depression to addressing more severe and persistent symptoms, our conversation will equip you with practical tools an...
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Have you wondered how a single negative comment can shape your beliefs about yourself?
In this episode, we dive into the crucial distinction between critical thinking and limiting beliefs, exploring how they shape our decisions. My guest, Dr. Josh Axe, author of the New York Times bestselling book, Think This, Not That, shares his personal story of overcoming a powerful limiting belief and helping his mom navigate through cancer. H...
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Are you ever tempted to lie to spare someone’s feelings or avoid conflict?
You're not alone. Research shows that most people tell at least one lie every day, even though honesty significantly benefits our relationships and mental health. In today’s episode, we explore the science and Biblical wisdom behind lying, and I'll share practical strategies to foster more honesty (spoiler alert: it involves setting boundaries!) in your rela...
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Have you ever felt isolated because you can't open up to others?
Do you worry that showing vulnerability might lead to more hurt?
You are in for such a special treat today. This is such an honest, incredibly real conversation about the risks of vulnerability, the hurts that come from letting others in AND the incredible opportunities for intimacy, connection, and healing when we do.
My dear friends, Kathy Tuan-MacLean and Tara Edel...
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May 16, 2024 • 46 mins
We don't want to gossip, but most of us do it. What if gossip actually plays a deeper role in our lives and relationships?
So often in life we bump into "grey areas," areas that can stir up dissonance inside of us. We hold certain beliefs or values, yet we find ourselves acting in ways that are contrary to those values.
In this series, we're exploring some of these areas that can bring up dissonance inside. Our focus today is goss...
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Do you ever feel distant from God?
Do you struggle with conflicting emotions or unanswered questions that make it hard to feel God's presence in your life?
Today's episode brings the 🔥🔥🔥. I'm passionate about naming the false guilt and counterfeit messages that keep us from a vibrant relationship with God.
So often we try to shove complicated feelings aside or manipulate ourselves into feeling what we think we “should” feel in o...
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May 7, 2024 • 47 mins
Happy Book Launch day!
Today I Shouldn't Feel This Way is out in the world AND it's the two-year anniversary of The Best of You Podcast . To celebrate, I asked my friend, fellow therapist, and author, Aundi Kolber, to join me for a special bonus episode!
Join us as we share insights into why we started writing, what we keep private vs. what we share publicly, and how to navigate the publishing industry.
Pick up your copy of I Sho...
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How do you navigate anger in your family?
What do you do when a parent who was supposed to love you and keep you safe actually caused you harm?
Families evoke such complicated emotions. You might feel angry and then guilty about that anger. You might feel a mixture of love and resentment. Today, we tackle family anger and generational trauma. My guest, Lisa-Jo Baker was a teenager when her mother died, leaving her alone with her ...
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Have you ever felt betrayed by someone you thought you could trust?
It's a deeply painful experience that can leave you questioning not only the betrayer but also your own judgment. Trust, once broken, seems almost impossible to rebuild.
My guest today, Steve Carter, experienced a series of profound betrayals at a pivotal moment in his life. In 2018, amidst misconduct allegations against Bill Hybels, founder of Willow Creek Commun...
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Do you ever feel like your spirit is broken?
Do you feel like you can't put yourself back together despite your best efforts?
Please do not miss this episode. My guest, Christopher Cook, has such powerful words about a broken spirit and how it’s different from (but related to) depression and burnout. We also dig into a real time discussion of the dark night of the soul. This conversation connected so many dots for me, and I cannot ...
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What do you do when you're grieving?
How do you support others through grief?
Grief shows up in all of our lives—whether you’re grieving the loss of a person, a relationship, or a dream. We need each other to grieve well. It’s not something we were designed to do in isolation. My guest today, hospital chaplain, J.S. Park, is a powerful story teller and grief catcher. His viral posts about grief and death have revealed an incredibly...
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April 4, 2024 • 42 mins
Today’s episode is just so special and so deeply personal. If you’ve experienced trauma, please listen. If you love someone, please listen. Trauma touches so many lives, and it’s so often misunderstood. In today’s episode, Monique Koven, host of The Healing Trauma podcast, shares her powerful story of healing from trauma. There is absolute gold in this episode for everyone.
Here’s what we cover:
1. The anxiety response she couldn't...
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Do you walk on eggshells with someone you love?
Do you sometimes feel like you can't have an honest conversation?
Signs of emotional immaturity are everywhere. In today’s episode, we dive into the signs of emotional immaturity and its profound effect on our relationships. You'll learn the difference between emotionally mature and immature responses so that you can improve your connections. Here’s what we cover:
1. Why emotional i...
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March 21, 2024 • 50 mins
If you’re human, you’ve encountered some toxic behaviors. We all have. And it’s not wise to be naive about them. I’m passionate about helping you identify these toxic behaviors—not to label people, but to name behaviors accurately. When you understand the nature of toxic strategies, you can protect yourself and move toward health. Here’s what you’ll learn:
1. A mistake vs. a pattern of toxic behaviors (4:59)
2. The root of toxic be...
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